1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a gum system for use in very low calorie table syrup applications, as well as very low calorie table syrups containing such a gum system.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years there have been developed a number of synthetic table syrup products. For purposes of the present invention, the term "synthetic table syrup" is meant to describe a table syrup product manufactured to be comparable to naturally occurring syrups, e.g., maple syrup. Among the qualities to which synthetic table syrups are intended to be comparable are taste, mouthfeel, pourability, and stability. In addition, many consumers prefer synthetic table syrups which are thicker, or more viscous, than naturally occurring syrups.
Synthetic table syrups often include a gum system and a large percentage of sugar solids. The gum system is included so that the synthetic syrup mimics the natural syrups in appearance, viscosity, pourability, and mouthfeel, and has the desired thickness, or viscosity, as already discussed. Typically, the gum system includes a suspending, dispersing, or colloidal agent in water. Synthetic and naturally occurring gums are often used in the manufacture of gum systems. Edible preservatives and antimicrobials are often added to the gum system to ensure microbial stability.
A significant percentage of a synthetic table syrup is suspended sugar solids. These sugar solids account to a considerable extent for qualities such as taste, mouthfeel, viscosity, pourability and stability. However, the high sugar solids content of these syrups makes them high in calories, and accordingly, they do not satisfy consumer demand for lower calorie food stuffs.
Attempts to produce a reduced calorie synthetic table syrup which has the desired taste, mouthfeel, viscosity, pourability and stability as discussed herein have been reported in the patent literature. U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,521, issued to Bennett et al., describes a synthetic table syrup including by weight from about 15 to about 45% sugar solids, and up to 50% maltodextrin. The syrup further includes a gum system consisting of carboxymethylcellulose gum and propylene glycol alginate. Bennett et al. attributes the characteristics of the syrup to the critical relationship between the carboxymethylcellulose and the propylene glycol alginate. Specifically, the weight ratio of the carboxymethylcellulose to the propylene glycol alginate must be about 2:1.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,399, issued to Keyser et al., describes a reduced calorie synthetic table syrup including by weight about 40% sugar solids, and a gum system consisting of from about 0.5 to about 1.0% carboxymethylcellulose. Keyser et al. teaches that relatively small increases in the amount of carboxymethylcellulose, apparently above 1.0%, dramatically increase viscosity and yield a product having a stringy, slimy, undesirable mouthfeel. Keyser et al. attributes the desirable consistency, mouthfeel, and pourability of their syrup to the interaction between the carboxymethylcellulose and the sugar solids.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,205, issued to Turrisi, describes a low calorie syrup including from about 10 to about 43.3% sugar solids by weight of total syrup, in water, from about 0.01 to 1% of alginate ester, from about 0.01 to 1% of clarified xanthan gum, and from about 0.01 to 1% of edible preservative, wherein the ratio of alginate to xanthan gum ranges from 10:1 to about 1:1.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,646, issued to Swallow et al., describes a low calorie aqueous table syrup including at least 70% by weight water, sugar solids in an amount of less than 10% by weight, based on the weight of the syrup, an artificial sweetener, and a gum system consisting of carboxymethyl-cellulose and xanthan gum, wherein the xanthan gum is present in an amount of from 15% to 75% by weight of the carboxymethylcellulose.
Some of the above cited patents attribute their desirable characteristics of taste, stability, pourability, mouthfeel and viscosity to the critical interactions between the sugar solids and the gum system. However, a significant percentage of these particular syrups are comprised of sugar solids. Replacing this volume with water and an artificial sweetener would result in an undesirable, watery, dilute product. Furthermore, replacing this volume with water and a gum system would appear, after reviewing the relevant patent literature, to be futile since the patent literature teaches that gums, e.g., carboxymethylcellulose, used in amounts high enough to supply the necessary viscosity for a very low calorie syrup would impair important mouthfeel and pourability characteristics.
Other cited patents attribute their desirable characteristics of taste, stability, pourability, mouthfeel and viscosity to the particular gum systems utilized in a narrowly defined application. There is nothing in these other patents to indicate that these gum systems would provide their desired characteristics outside their narrow application.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel and unique gum system for use in preparing very low calorie synthetic table syrups having a desirable viscosity, mouthfeel, pourability, stability, and taste profile. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a pourable food product for use in table syrup applications which contain little or no sugar solids.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pourable food product for use in combination with an artificial sweetener in table syrup applications which contain less than about 25 calories per fluid ounce.